Council hires new solicitor, accepts police officer resignation

Meyersdale Borough Council approved the hiring of a new solicitor Tuesday.

Council hired attorney Patrick Fanelli of Andrews & Beard Law Offices, Altoona, to represent the borough. Fanelli takes over for Patrick Svonavec.

Council President Martha Curran said Fanelli has agreed to represent council at a rate of $125 an hour. Svonavec’s rate was $95 per hour, according to Curran.

Mayor Mike Brant questioned the decision due to the borough’s current financial state.

“I want to know, in a community that’s pinching pennies, why we’re hiring an attorney at $125 an hour?” Brant said. “I just don’t understand how this is financially responsible.

Curran said the decision to hire a new solicitor was based on more than just finances.

“He’s not going to be at every meeting,” she said. “He’ll be here at our behest.”

The move came one day after news of a state police investigation into borough bidding practices for work to the town’s community center and borough building became public.

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A Garrett contractor, Rodney Eugene Butler, was arrested for bid rigging during renovations completed at the borough building. He is accused of submitting three bids in one sealed envelope that he claims were from three contractors, but were in fact from one. He was arraigned before District Judge Sandra Stevanus and released on $15,000 unsecured bond.

Former council members Rick Sechler and Franklin Edmunds Jr. are charged with evading advertising requirements for bids during the renovations. Current councilman Tom Deakins is charged with evasion of advertising requirements for bids. The offenses allegedly occurred between February 2010 and March 31, 2011.

State police also charged David Byers Clapper, 65, Duncan Street, Meyersdale, president of Clapper’s Building Materials, with penalty for personal interest in contracts or purchases, a misdemeanor.

In other business, council accepted the resignation of police officer Dave Holler, who said in a letter to the borough that he was seeking retirement.

In the letter he requested payment for unused sick and vacation days. He also requested longevity payments of $50 per year for the next 15 years.

His announcement came less than a week before the end of a 14-week police layoff. In January council approved the temporary layoff of Holler and officer Matthew Wright.

At last month’s meeting council agreed to bring back the two officers at the end of the layoff on April 15. As part of the agreement, however, council decided to reduce the officers’ hours from full-time to part-time.

Curran said council will likely move forward with its plans for a part-time police department.

“It (Holler’s resignation) is going to open up a whole lot of opportunities for the borough, because he was a full-time officer,” she said. “I think we’re going to continue with the part-time police force, but it will allow us to have more officers. It will allow us to schedule more officers for more (hours of) coverage.”